On March 17, 2017, the Department of State (“DOS”), through the Secretary of State, issued a cable to all US consulates and embassies with guidance on enhanced screening and vetting of applications for US visas and other...more
3/28/2017
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Visas
From time to time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts site visits at the offices of employers petitioning for temporary work visas on behalf of their employees. These visits are funded by the $500 “anti-fraud”...more
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility valid to April 1, 2017 or later, and an H-1B filing on your behalf has been...more
The UK Home Office has announced plans to offer an optional premium service for requests made through the Sponsor Management System (SMS). This service will allow Sponsors to pay a fee of £200 for expedited processing of...more
On October 1, 2016, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2018 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2018), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
This advisory summarizes key travel and employment issues if you are an F-1 student with Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment eligibility and an H-1B change of status filing on your behalf has been accepted by US...more
The diversity visa green card lottery has been an important part of U.S. immigration law for the last 20 years. It allows 55,000 foreign nationals to immigrate each year and was implemented to fulfill the worthy goal of...more
On December 30, 2015, the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (SUCIS) must notify either the beneficiary of an approved I-140 or successor employer, of any intent to...more
On October 1, 2015, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2017 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2017), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more
It’s September 25th, not April 1st! Like a cruel April Fool’s joke, the October Visa Bulletin has just been revised and the new India & China EB-2 filing dates have retrogressed. The instructions in bold type in the new...more
USCIS announced on September 24, 2015 that it will:
“suspend final adjudication of employment-based Form I-485 applications… because the Department of State reports that the statutory cap has been reached for the...more
Mr. Chairman, I’m pleased to provide my testimony today as a follow-up to previous appearances before this committee. I’ve testified on two other occasions to explain the need for a more certain and predictable way to attract...more
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the US Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) did not follow required procedures when it promulgated regulations allowing for...more
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the US Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) did not follow required procedures when it promulgated regulations allowing for...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released final guidance on a recent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision requiring amended or new H-1B petitions for workers who change job sites. These requirements...more
On Tuesday July 21, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released final guidance on a recent Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision requiring amended or new H-1B petitions for workers who change job...more
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs reports that the database responsible for handling biometric clearances has been restored and is undergoing testing. As of today, June 24, 2015, 39 posts are back...more
Last week, in anticipation of the increased workload to be created by the filing of applications for Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) by H-4 spouses of certain H-1B employees beginning May 26, 2015, USCIS announced...more
The diversity visa green card lottery has been an important part of U.S. immigration law for the last 20 years. It allows 55,000 foreign nationals to immigrate each year and was implemented to fulfill the worthy goal of...more
Republican leaders and both branches of Congress failed Friday to come to a long-term agreement to provide fiscal year funding for the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and provide confidence that a DHS shutdown will be...more
This alert is a reminder of the rapidly approaching April 1, 2015 deadline for the filing of H-1B visa petitions for Fiscal Year 2016. Petitions for the new fiscal year, which starts on October 1, 2015, will be accepted by...more
Due to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced the designation of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months,...more
The Obama administration has touted a number of new initiatives aimed at encouraging immigrant entrepreneurship and retention of high-tech workers in the U.S. These are commendable and this author applauds these efforts....more
On October 1, 2014, the U.S. Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2016 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2016), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides...more
On Friday, May 30, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reversed a longstanding policy of extending the validity of the physician endorsement on the Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record...more